


nothing but the truth

by defractum (nyargles)



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Butcher Neil Josten, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 08:30:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13119990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nyargles/pseuds/defractum
Summary: They call on Andrew to testify against him. Andrew’s part faerie, and everyone knows the fae can’t lie.A blend of faerie AU and Butcher!Neil AU





	nothing but the truth

**Author's Note:**

> For [rrgunns](http://rrgunns.tumblr.com/) as part of the [AFTG Exchange](aftgexchange.tumblr.com). I really hope you like it even though it's not super shippy. Have a great holiday season!

They call on Andrew to testify against him.

Andrew walks up to the witness stand in his perfectly tailored suit, calm, and looks down at Neil, sitting in the defendant’s chair.

He’s the state’s witness, and they don’t bother to call him a hostile witness. Andrew’s part faerie, and everyone knows the fae can’t lie.

Neil’s lawyer protests; the witness list is supposed to be disclosed.

The state argues that it had been for Andrew’s protection. He had been in fear of his life for Neil’s retaliation. Neil almost snorts out loud.

“My client is in a relationship with this man—”

“—but they are not married, so spousal privilege does not apply in this situation.”

Under the glamour he’s got on, Neil keeps his expression flat. His boring brown human eyes betray nothing, even though he feels like maybe Andrew should have mentioned this when he visited Neil in prison yesterday. It’s been months since they’ve been in the same room without a plastic partition between them.

Neil imagines it: Andrew sitting up in bed and reading a book as Neil storms in and asks him why he didn’t warn him he’d be taking the stand against him. The imaginary Andrew in his head looks at Neil with one raised eyebrow, and tells him he really should have expected it, and goes straight back to his book. Neil supposes that’s fair. He probably _should_ have expected it.

He puts a hand on his lawyer’s arm. Kevin’s known Andrew even longer than he’s known Neil, and it’s not until Kevin gives up his argument, still grumbling that Neil realises that Kevin’s acting. He does that sometimes. It’s unnerving, though useful for a lawyer. Neil settles back into his chair as the judge rules that Andrew is allowed to testify. 

At the front of the room, Andrew swears to tell the truth on a bible he doesn’t believe in.

The state’s lawyer looks down at his notes and clears his throat. “Mr Minyard, do you know Nathaniel Wesninski Junior?”

“Yes.”

“How do you know him?”

“I work for him.”

“What do you do for him?”

“Sometimes I courier messages between the mortal world and the faerie mound.”

Neil supposes Andrew’s not going to mention what he does for Neil the rest of the time then.

“What kind of messages?” asks the lawyer, Browning.

“I have never read any of Nathaniel’s messages to the faeries.”

There’s a moment’s pause in the questioning, and Neil hides his smile. Neil’s messages are never written down, so it’s completely true that Andrew has never read any of them; there’s nothing that compels the fae to answer only the question they’ve been asked.

Browning is human, Neil would bet his life on it. Instead of sneaking around trying to hide Andrew as a witness from them, the prosecution should have invested the time and energy in consulting a faerie on how to question another faerie.

“You signed a confession saying that you facilitated bribes and business negotiations about smuggling and murders between Nathaniel Wesninski and various members of the Gentry court earlier this week, did you not?”

“I did sign a statement saying that, yes.”

“Alright.” Browning rallies. Neil appreciates that he’s trying. “And do you see Nathaniel Wesninski Junior in this room?”

“No.”

A strained silence settles like a blanket over the room before the confused muttering pierces through. Browning looks like he wants to strangle Andrew on the spot. Someone in the audience snaps, “He’s _right there!_ ”

The judge clears his throat, and waits for everyone to quieten down. “Mr Minyard, please remember that perjury is a criminal offence.”

“I’m part-fae,” says Andrew with a ghost of a smile. “I’m incapable of lying.”

The judge seems to find that reassuring, though Neil wouldn’t if he were faced with the same expression. That’s the face Andrew has on when he’s having too much fun leading his prey along. He remembers a conversation he’d had with Andrew long ago, back when they were still finding their place with each other: I told Neil Josten to stay. Leave Nathaniel buried in Baltimore with his father.

The glamour he’s wearing today is the public face of Neil Josten, and the same face he’d been wearing when he had first met Andrew. He doesn’t wear it for Andrew anymore, when they’re alone, but the brown hair and brown eyes are reassuring for the trial. Neil’s scars intimidate humans, and his orange hair and golden eyes, both colors unnatural in the human world though perfectly normal for a faerie, remind them of his father, the infamous redcap who slaughtered his way across the East Coast.

Browning’s second chair is frantically scribbling something down and Browning squares his shoulders. “We’d like to declare the witness as hostile, your Honor. He’s in a relationship with the defendant.”

The judge listens to Browning’s request, but Neil knows what his answer is before Browning’s done. “Denied. The state knew of this relationship prior to this questioning and implied at the beginning of this questioning that the state had previously decided it would not be an issue. It is what allowed me to admit this witness without prior disclosure to the prosecution.”

Browning nods. “Okay. Mr Minyard.” He pauses, as if he’s thinking really hard about what he’s saying and how to phrase it. Neil thinks, rather ungenerously, that surely that’s part of being a good lawyer in the first place. “Mr Minyard. Is Nathaniel Wesninski Junior in this room?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Where is he?”

Andrew points at Neil.

“Let the record show that Mr Minyard has indicated the defendant. Mr Minyard, why did you say just now that you couldn’t see him just now?”

“I didn’t say that. I can see the defendant. I can’t see Nathaniel Wesninski Junior.”

An ugly red flush is starting to creep up Browning’s neck, and Neil can see the curl of a smile in the corner of Kevin’s lips. He murmurs, “You two had fun planning this, didn’t you?”

Kevin shrugs one shoulder magnanimously.

“Okay,” says Browning. “Can you please identify the defendant for me?”

“Yes. Neil Josten.”

“Please let the record show that _Neil Josten_ is a known alias of Nathaniel Wesninski, as established earlier in this trial.” Browning looks visibly relieved.

“Junior,” says Andrew.

“Sorry?”

“Correct me if I’m wrong. My understanding is that Neil Josten is a known alias of Nathaniel Wesninski... Junior.”

That’s the moment the prosecution’s entire argument comes tumbling down. Browning just hasn’t noticed it yet. Neil leans over to whisper in Kevin’s ear, “You wouldn’t happen to have a copy of Andrew’s statement, would you?”

“Why would I have a copy of that when I didn’t even know he was going to be a witness for the other side?” Kevin’s kind of bad at not looking smug. It’s a good thing that being the personal lawyer to a mob boss allows plenty of opportunity to look smug.

“Does it mention the word ‘Junior’ at any point?”

“Not even once.”

The rest of Andrew’s witness testimony is a shambles. The judge gets increasingly annoyed that it’s taking question upon question to eke out slivers of answers from Andrew (though hiding it well), the jury is confused by the seemingly contradictory answers he’s given and Browning’s clearly frustrated that his line of questioning is going nowhere fast, and gives him up as a useful witness before he digs himself even deeper.

Which means that it’s Kevin’s turn next.

“Mr Minyard. Earlier, it was mentioned that you confessed about bribes, smuggling and murders you helped facilitate, is that correct?”

“Yes.” Andrew is just as deadpan when faced with Kevin.

“Did you strike a deal with the DA’s office in exchange for this confession?”

“Yes. I used this statement to arrange a deal with the state whereby I would not be prosecuted for these actions if I testified.”

“How is this relevant?” Browning objects.

“I’ll move on,” says Kevin smoothly, as if he hasn’t just reminded the DA’s office of Andrew’s deal in public – effectively making sure that Andrew really can’t be prosecuted for this. “In this statement, who did you say you were working for?”

“Nathaniel Wesninski.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Your Honor!” Browning looks disgusted. “He’s badgering the witness.”

The judge nods. “Sustained. Mr Day, please move on.”

“Apologies, Your Honor, but it’s relevant. I’d like to clarify. My client, the defendant here today, is Nathaniel Wesninski Junior. Nathaniel Wesninski is his father.”

The case is won.

Oh, there are other parts to wrap up. Expert statements, closing statements, the jury deciding. It takes another four hours, in fact. But all Neil knows is that it’s two wins rolled into one – it’s impossible for the jury to find him guilty, and Andrew’s made sure that he’s never even going to make it to a jury.

The ‘not guilty’ is almost an anti-climax. They take the cold iron cuffs off him and he rubs the reddened skin around his wrist, glad to be rid of them at least.

There are reporters lurking outside the court room, waiting for his statement. Neil slips on a different glamour, a different face, and slips out the side as Kevin walks forward to intercept them. Normally, Neil wouldn’t mind a verbal sparring match with them but he’s got his mind on other things at the moment.

There’s a sleek black car with tinted windows parked illegally opposite the court room. Neil gets to it before the traffic cop manages to reach it, and slides himself into the passenger seat. Neil drops his glamour the moment the door shuts; it’s Andrew behind the wheel. They pull out into the traffic heedless of the cars behind them, and Neil can tell there are cars behind them because they all blare their horns at them.

“You didn’t stay for the rest of the trial,” says Neil, turning in his seat like a sunflower towards the sun.

“I don’t do pointless things.” Andrew keeps his eyes on the road, but his hand, the one resting on the gear shift, turns palm up. Neil slides his hand into it and curls his body loosely around Andrew’s arm, breathes him in. It feels a lot like home.

**Author's Note:**

> Oh man, I had SO MUCH FUN with this. Honestly, I love this 'verse, and I feel like I have a lot of headcanons/backstory to go with it. Please leave a comment if you liked it, or come hit me up on [tumblr](http://defractum.tumblr.com).
> 
> Also I know nothing about the law or legal courts so, you know, cut me some slack there if I made any terrible errors *coughs*


End file.
